The present invention relates to a write/read head supporting mechanism for write/read systems such as hard disk drives (hereinafter HDDs for short) or optical disk drives, and a write/read system comprising such a write/read head supporting mechanism.
A prior art magnetic head supporting mechanism used with HDDs is generally built up of a slider having an electromagnetic transducer element, a suspension for supporting the slider, and an interconnecting pattern connected to the electromagnetic transducer element.
The electromagnetic transducer element comprises a magnetic pole and coil for converting electric signals to magnetic signals, and vice versa, a magnetoresistance effect element for transforming magnetic signals to voltage signals, and so on, each being fabricated by thin-film techniques, assembly techniques, etc. The slider is formed of non-magnetic ceramics such as Al2O3xe2x80x94TiC or CaTiO3 or a magnetic material such as ferrite, and has a generally cuboidal shape. The surface (air bearing surface) of the slider opposite to a disk medium is configured into a shape suitable for generating pressure to fly the slider over the disk medium at a small spacing. The suspension for supporting the slider is formed by bending, punching or otherwise processing a resilient stainless sheet.
When the slider is used in actual applications, static electricity is generated at the slider. This static electricity is generated due to a sliding movement between the flying surface of the slider and the surface of a disk medium at contact start stop (CSS), contact of the flying surface of the slider with the surface of the disk medium which is caused by a very small amount of flying of the slider with respect to the surface of the disk medium rotating at high speed, friction between the slider and the air, etc.
Static electricity, when generated at the slider, often gives rise to an electrostatic breakdown of the electromagnetic transducer element. To avoid this, most magnetic heads have sliders connected to a ground (e.g., JP-A""s 2-61810, 2-244419 and 8-111015). The aforesaid JP-A 2-61810 discloses a thin-film magnetic head wherein a conductor electrically connected to a magnetic core mounted on a slider is bonded to a gimbal part of a suspension at an earth potential by means of an electrically conductive adhesive agent. The aforesaid JP-A 2-244419 discloses that the side of a slider and a suspension are bonded together by means of an electrically conductive adhesive agent. The aforesaid JP-A 8-111015 discloses a magnetic head system wherein a ground electrode is mounted on a flexible wiring substrate provided on a suspension, and then electrically connected to a slider.
On the other hand, an HDD is increasingly required to be downsized with ever-higher recording density and, hence, have ever-higher track density and ever-narrower track width. To improve tracking precision in a high-density recording HDD, it is effective to provide the magnetic head with an actuator for effecting a micro-displacement of the electromagnetic transducer element or slider with respect to the suspension. Such an actuator, for instance, is disclosed in JP-A""s 6-259905, 6-309822 and 8-180623.
In a magnetic head having an actuator, a slider is displaced relatively to a suspension when the slider is driven by the actuator. There is thus a possibility that an electrical wire connecting the suspension side to the slider side may be detrimental to this displacement.
However, the aforesaid publications, each disclosing the provision of an actuator, say nothing about the connection of the slider to a ground. Accordingly or as a matter of course, the publications disclose nothing about the means for connecting the slider to a ground without detriment to the displacement capability of the actuator when it is provided.
An object of the invention is to provide a write/read head supporting mechanism for a magnetic disk system or optical disk system having an actuator for effecting a micro-displacement of an electromagnetic transducer element or slider, wherein any electrostatic breakdown of the electromagnetic transducer element or optical module is prevented without detriment to the displacement capability of the actuator.
Such an object is achievable by the following constructions.
(1) A write/read head supporting mechanism comprising a slider provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, and a suspension, wherein said slider is supported on said suspension by way of an actuator for displacing said slider, and
a ground region that said suspension has is electrically connected to said slider by means of an electrical connecting member that is movable and/or deformable in a displacement direction of said slider by said actuator.
(2) The write/read head supporting mechanism according to (1) above, wherein said suspension is made up of an electrically conductive material, and said suspension itself is utilized as said ground region.
(3) The write/read head supporting mechanism according to (1) above, wherein said suspension is provided on a surface thereof with a grounding electrode as said ground region.
(4) A write/read head supporting mechanism comprising a slider provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, and a suspension, wherein said slider is supported on said suspension by way of an actuator for displacing said slider, and
at least a part of said actuator is provided with an electrically conductive region, by way of which a ground region that said suspension has is electrically connected to aid slider.
(5) The write/read head supporting mechanism according to (4) above, wherein a ground electrode used to drive said actuator is utilized as said electrically conductive region.
(6) A write/read head supporting mechanism comprising a slider provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, and a suspension, wherein said slider is supported on said suspension by way of an actuator for displacing said slider, and which comprises an interconnecting pattern including a wire for electrical connection to said electromagnetic transducer element or said optical module and a grounding wire for electrical connection to said slider, said interconnecting pattern comprising a close-contact wire in close contact with said suspension and a floating wire that extends away from said suspension to said slider and is movable and/or deformable in a displacement direction of said slider by said actuator.
(7) A write/read head supporting mechanism comprising a slider provided with an electromagnetic transducer element or an optical module, and a suspension, wherein said slider is supported on said suspension by way of an actuator for displacing said slider,
a leading end portion of said suspension comprises a flexible region that is curved or bent toward a slider side and movable and/or deformable in a displacement direction of said slider by said actuator, and
an interconnecting pattern is in close contact with a surface of said flexible region, said interconnecting pattern comprising a wire for electrical connection to said electromagnetic transducer element or said optical module and a grounding wire for electrical connection to said slider.
(8) The write/read head supporting mechanism according to (6) or (7) above, wherein said suspension is made up of an electrically conductive material, and said grounding wire led out of said interconnecting pattern is electrically connected to said suspension.
(9) A write/read system comprising a write/read head supporting mechanism as recited in any one of (1) to (8) above.